Thank you Bloomer, the Sambucus and Physocarpus are favourites for their dark leaf colour, love the contrast they bring to the garden - their flowers are so pretty too, as you know everything here have to do their own thing so they are hardy perennials, self seeding plants or shrubs :o) x

Lovely shrubs and plants, Neellan, especially that beautiful Sambucus. I've just purchased a very small Black Lace - rushed out last night to give it a bucket of water as it seemed to be suffering. Fingers crossed it grows big and strong like your Nigra.

Excellent. I agree with Gee, the Sambucus Nigra is stunning.
I love them but have never grown because around here they seem to get terrible problems with black fly but yours doesn't look to be suffering.
And, I agree the flower buds on Calico bush do look like Iced gems.Crikey, Iced Gems, I haven't seen those in years.I used to have them after swimming at our local pool as a child. (Or a waggon Wheel)